


You Promised No More Running

by AngelwithMidnightWings



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, I want SwanQueen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-08
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-08-29 19:36:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8502718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelwithMidnightWings/pseuds/AngelwithMidnightWings
Summary: Emma Swan died ten years ago. At least, that's what Regina Mills was told.





	

Regina placed a bouquet of yellow roses on the coffin. “He’s ten,” she whispers quietly, her hand lingering on the cool marble. Her fingers trail across the name carved into the gold plaque: Emma Swan.

“Mom,” her son’s voice asks.

She wipes the lone tear from her cheek and pastes a smile on her face as she turns around. “Yes Henry,” she replies.

“Can we go to Aunt Ruby’s now,” Henry begs, making wide doe eyes that make Regina want to cry.

She nods. “Yeah, let’s go see everyone.”

In the small town of Storybrooke it takes them less than eight minutes to drive from the cemetery where Emma’s coffin rests to Granny’s diner.

“Regina,” Ruby’s voice booms across the room.

The smile Regina flashes is more genuine this time as Henry releases her hand and books it across the room for Ruby.

Ruby wraps the boy up in a hug as he wraps his arms around her waist. “Hey buddy,” she says, “is your mom okay?”

Regina frowns at the question as Henry shakes his head. “She was crying again. Why does she cry today, every year? She won’t tell me.”

Ruby’s brow furrows and she shoots a look towards the brunette woman. “Well Henry, today, a long time ago, something bad happened.”

“But it’s my birthday.” He looked confused.

You’re right Henry, so why don’t you go hang out with Grace, Neal and Roland,” Ruby says with a smile. His face lights up in response and he shoots off for his friends without a second thought.

Regina and Ruby watch Henry for a few minutes before Ruby gives her friend a hug. The brunette is stiff in her arms for a moment before she melts into the touch. “I miss them Ruby, even after all these years. Is that bad?”

“No,” Ruby says firmly. “I know you are thinking about your mother and it’s not weak to miss your friends.” Regina chuckles into her friend’s hair before they release each other. “Now come on.” The two approach the bar where their other friends are seated.

Mary-Margret and David, Robin and Marian, Jefferson, and Zelena all sit together. Zelena, Regina’s sister, cradles her daughter in her arms. “Look who it is Robyn,” Zelena coos. “Auntie Gina!”

Regina smiles at her sister and niece as Robyn babbles happily. She takes a seat and offers a toast with the shot Ruby shoves into her hand, “Happy birthday to Henry.”

“To Henry,” everyone echoes.

They stay past nine at the diner with their pseudo-family. Regina calls it when she sees her son rubbing at his eyes. A gesture that makes her heart clench when she thinks of a blonde who used to do the same thing.

She smiles over at him as she parks her Mercedes in the driveway.

“Help me with your presents,” Regina laughs as her and Henry move to get out of the car. He nods and begins pulling some bags form the back seat.

When they make it into their house Henry takes off for his room, bags he carried in discarded by the front door. “No running,” she calls, as she slides her heels off.

She shakes her head with a smile as she picks up the bags and brings them into the living room. The doorbell rings. Regina’s head shoots up in confusion as she makes her way back to the front door. She opens the large door hesitantly. Her heart drops when she sees who it is.

She brings a hand to her mouth, trying to hold in her sobs. “Emma,” she croaks out.

The blonde woman nods. “Hi.”

“No,” Regina says, shaking her head. “No, you’re dead. You died. Whoever you are this is a sick joke.” The tears she tried to hold in begin to drip down her cheeks.

The blonde moves closer, reaching out a hand as Regina scrutinizes her features. She looked older but she was Emma. “Regina,” Emma says quietly.

Emma’s voice spurs Regina forward and she throws herself into the blonde’s arms. “Emma you died. All of you died.” The blonde buries her face in Regina’s hair briefly before she leads the brunette back into the mansion. They settle in the living room. “How are you here Emma,” Regina asks. She doesn’t let go of the blonde for a second.

“When I woke up in the hospital, the doctor told me about Neal and Daniel. Then they told me about the baby, he was alive and so was I. When I heard him crying, I knew I couldn’t handle it, I never saw him and I told the doctors to tell everyone I died. It was my chance to escape and I did the only thing I knew how to do: I ran. I have travelled for the past ten years Regina, alone. I never stayed in the same place to long. I-I-I saw this group of people in California and I had the urge to come back home. I don’t know what I was thinking,” Emma finishes, rubbing at the back of her neck. “I shouldn’t have come back.”

Regina’s eyes rake over the blonde, taking in every feature.  “I’m glad you did,” she murmurs. Nervous blue eyes meet emotion filled brown ones. “I have mourned your death and Daniel’s death and Neal’s death for ten years. To find out my best friend is alive is better than anything I could have ever asked for.”

“Regina,” Emma says, pausing a moment. She clears her throat.

She doesn’t get the chance to continue as feet pound down the stairs. “Mom,” Henry shouts. “Can I have a snack?” He slides into the room on slipper clad feet, a smile wide on his face. He stops short when he sees his mother has company. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t hear anyone come in.”

Regina offers him a small smile. Emma looks between Regina and Henry a few times before she says, “That’s okay kid. I won’t be staying long.”

“No,” Regina shouts before she can stop herself. She claps a hand over her mouth, her cheeks flushing as Emma looks at her with a smirk she hadn’t seen in ten years. Regina glares at Emma before turning to her son. “Why don’t you say hi to my friend?” She gestures for the brunette boy to move further into the room.

Henry smiles as he holds out his hand for the blonde. “Hi, I’m Henry. Henry Mills,” he introduces.

“Emma, Emma Swan,” the blonde replies. “How old are you Henry?”

“I’m ten,” He says with a grin. “Today’s my birthday.”

“Well happy birthday,” Emma says. “Could I just talk to your mom for a minute please, kid?”

He nods and looks to Regina. “Can I have that snack?”

His mother nods and he books it out of the living room. The brunette woman watches the spot he disappeared from for several minutes after he’s gone, dread climbing up her throat. Tears start to well in her eyes and she clears her throat trying to keep them from spilling. Her name is whispered by the blonde but she refuses to turn. She feels Emma’s hand take her own and is surprised with how cold it is. Regina wants to laugh in despair as she remembers how warm Emma’s hands used to be, soothing every ache when her mother had been especially angry.

Emma moves to sit on the coffee table in front of her friend. When the brunette woman still refuses to turn she takes gentle hold of Regina’s chin and turns until their eyes meet. “Regina, is that my son?”

Regina cannot hold back her tears any longer. “Don’t take him from me please,” she begs. “He’s mine, I raised him. He’s mine.”

Emma’s brow furrows and she moves back to sit on the couch, wrapping her arm around the shaking woman. “I won’t take him, Regina. I just wanted to know. But he is? He’s my son?”

Regina nods against the blonde’s shoulder. A sharp clatter has them both springing from the couch. Henry stands looking mortified, what used to be a bowl shattered at his feet, spilling the melting ice cream over tile. “Henry,” Regina starts.

“You’re not my mom?” He looks dejected for a brief moment before anger takes over his face. “You always lie! You never told me I wasn’t your son. You’re so EVIL!” He storms away, fleeing for the safety of his bedroom.

“Henry,” she calls, moving to go after him.

Emma shouts, ‘Regina’, a second too late as the brunette yelps in pain; shards of the shattered bowl embedding themselves in her feet. Emma rushes over, boots still on, making it easier to scoop the brunette up bridal style and carry her to the kitchen. Once setting Regina on a stool by the counter, she grabs the first aid kit from the cupboard, the same place it had been kept ten years before. She kneels down in front of Regina, looking up at her with worry filled eyes as she gently takes the brunette’s left foot in her hands, resting it on her knee. She starts removing the ceramic shards carefully.

“He hates me,” Regina whispers, as Emma finishes up.

“He’s just upset,” Emma murmurs, putting away the first aid kit. “You never told him?”

Regina shakes her head. “I am his mother; I didn’t see any reason to tell him he was adopted. I didn’t see the point of him knowing that his biological mother was dead, it would crush him,” she explains.

Emma nods and leans against the sink. She lets the silence hang in the room for a few moment before she says, “I will probably leave later tonight. Everyone thinks I’m dead anyway, I just wanted to see you.”

Regina head snaps up at the admission. “You can’t leave! You just came back! You just told Henry that I’m not his mother and he hates me! You can’t leave now,” Regina screams at the blonde. She practically leaps from the stool, ignoring the stabbing pain in her feet, and flies at Emma. The blonde lets out a soft, oomph, as the shorter brunette woman collides with her, wrapping her up in a tight hug. “You can’t go because I missed you too much.”

“Regina, I can’t,” Emma pleads, though she is holding tight to the woman in her arms.

“You promised no running anymore, Miss Swan,” Regina scolded gently. “We promised.”

Emma pulls back then, a sigh escaping, minty breath caressing Regina’s cheeks. “That promise was made more than ten years ago. Things change, Regina. This is too small a town for me being here to go unnoticed. You raised my son while I was gone and you’ll do the same now. You promised if anything happened to me you’d take care of him and you did. You named him after a man I loved like my own father. He is your son, I simply helped you get him and one day he will understand that. You were my best friend. I could never protect you from your mother but you kept my son. I need to ask one more thing of you, Regina. Let me go,” Emma’s voice cracks as she gazes into dark orbs filling with tears. She pauses to brush a lock of dark hair behind Regina’s ear before continuing, “I came back to let you know I was alive, that’s it. I need to leave, I can’t stay and feel the guilt again that I lived while Neal and Daniel died. I’m so sorry, Regina. I’m so sorry.”

They stare in silence at each other before the sharp sound of cracking glass once again echoes through the house. Both flinch and turn towards the noise. A cracked picture frame sits at their feet and Regina looks up to see Henry standing with flashing eyes at the doorway. “Henry,” Regina says softly.

Emma stoops to slide the picture carefully from between the shards. She ghosts pale fingers over the smiling faces the photo holds. “Regina,” she says. She hadn’t seen that picture in a long time. She and Regina were laughing, turned towards each other and leaning in close as if discussing a secret only they knew.

“I knew I had seen her somewhere,” Henry says, taking a step into the room. “That has been sitting on your nightstand for as long as I can remember. When I used to get nightmares and would come cuddle in your bed at night I would see how happy you looked with her. You are never that happy anymore and I wanted to meet the person that made you so happy.”

“You make me happy, my little prince,” the brunette soothes, skirting around the mess on the floor to kneel in front of the growing boy she raised.

Henry smiles but shakes his head. “It’s not the same.”

Tears leak down Regina’s cheeks. “Henry, she has to go. She’s right about how she can’t stay here, I was being selfish.”

“No!” He shouts, surprising both women. “You just got here. Don’t go. Don’t leave us again.”

“Kid,” Emma says, voice shaking. “I have to. You may not understand but one day you will.”

Regina stands abruptly and whirls towards Emma. “Don’t you dare tell my son that he doesn’t understand, Miss Swan,” she growls.

The fire in her eyes makes Emma take a step back, a rueful smile ghosting over her features. This tone, this demeanor as the brunette stiffens and crosses her arms across her chest, this is familiar. This is emotional arguments at three in the morning, and threats of not talking to each other ever again. This is making up hours later because there is just so much they need to tell each other.

This is not the same as Emma pushes back for the first time. Her new life had hardened her into an unrecognizable shape. Her blue eyes are cold as she stands rigidly in front of mother and son. “You’re right, Regina. I won’t ever again tell him he doesn’t understand. This was a mistake anyway.”

She shoves the brunette’s shoulder roughly as she passes. “Emma,” Regina gasps. Never had the blonde been so harsh. She was always the one that was deathly calm while the brunette riled up into fits of anger. She was the gentle voice of reason nipping at her heels, easing her from the murder on her mind. This was not the same Emma who had died ten years before. No, Regina did not know this Emma. Her Emma had died on that snowy night when her water broke, crushed in her beloved yellow beetle like the doctors told her.

“Goodbye, Regina.”

Two heartbroken souls crumple to the floor, a pile of limbs as they watch the blonde leave, neither stopping her.

It’s the last time either ever sees her and they never tell anyone that Emma Swan survived that fatal car crash long ago.

In truth, she didn’t. Not really.

…

_Fifteen year old Regina Mills watched with rapt curiosity as Mr. Gold, the principal of Storybrooke High, toured a new blonde student around their private school._

_Fifteen year old Emma Swan would never forget the feeling of eyes boring into her back as the principal of her new school gave her the grand—ten minute—tour._

_It was English class, fifth period before the two were finally introduced. Regina sat front row as Miss French, their English teacher, was interrupted by a knock on the door._

_The blonde from that morning appeared five seconds later, wild curls hanging around her shoulders. “I’m the new student,” she introduces._

_“Take a seat beside Regina, Miss Swan,” Miss French instructs, pointing to the only open seat in the class._

_Regina blushes as her eyes meet electric blue ones for the first time. The blonde smiles and holds out a hand, which Regina takes delicately in her own._

_“Hi,” she starts. “I have a feeling we’re going to be good friends.”_

_A chuckle escapes from a dry throat as the brunette replies, “I don’t even know your name, dear.”_

_“I’m Emma. Emma Swan.”_

_“Nice to meet you, Miss Emma Swan; I’m Regina Mills.”_


End file.
